Hurtigruten to sell Kleven Verft to Croatias DIV

“We are very pleased to have signed this agreement which opens up the opportunity for cooperation between two long and successful shipbuilding traditions. Kleven is recognized throughout the world as a Norwegian shipyard with first-class references and design knowledge, especially when it comes to equipment for complex ships. I am most pleased that Brodosplit, which we managed to place extremely well in the segment for the construction of medium-sized and expeditionary ships, has found a business partner with whom they will be able to achieve top results,” said Tomislav Debeljak, owner and CEO of DIV Group.

Kleven Verft’s workforce has also developed considerable experience in the construction of complex medium sized ships during the construction of Hurtigruten’s hybrid battery-powered cruise vessels.

Kleven’s CFO, Ola Beinnes Fosse, identified complementary skills between the shipyards, as well as DIV Group’s financial resources and pipeline of potential projects as advantages for the combined group.

Mr Debeljak expects the new group to achieve reduced construction costs and significantly lower costs to finance new projects. “The total savings could amount to 5%, which will not only improve our profitability, but also our competitiveness when we contract and build complex medium-sized vessels.

Kleven Verft’s managing director, Kjetil Bollestad, oversaw the introduction of a new company structure, New Kleven, in September 2019.

Kleven had anticipated a slowdown in orders in 2020, once work on the second of Hurtigruten’s new class of polar cruise vessels, Fridtjof Nansen, is completed in early 2020. The yard has an order for an innovative low emission trawler conversion for Nordnes Group and a barge for Boa Barges AS in hand.

DIV Group is involved in shipbuilding and ship repair and also has wider metal processing and manufacturing expertise.